Benzene pollution - a health risk in Gulf BP Oil drilling disaster

What is unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico is truly a nightmare of epic proportions. Untold millions (if not billions) of gallons of raw crude oil, mixed with natural gas has been spewing (not spilling) into the pristine waters of the Gulf of Mexico for over a month. All efforts to plug the massive leak have ended in abject failure. Sadly, the “mainstream media” is failing to accurately report the substantial health risks the massive oil geyser is posing to all coastal residents.

Raw crude oil is naturally loaded with a petrochemical called benzene. Unfortunately, several regulatory agencies (e.g., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], and the International Agency for Research on Cancer) classify benzene as a confirmed human carcinogen (CHC). In other words, benzene causes cancer and other chronic disease states.

This paper will review the dangers of benzene exposure, and offer solutions to help detoxify the body following exposure – either via the air, or by seawater, or rain and precipitation in contact with the skin.

The first question most people ask is: “How much benzene exposure is safe?” The answer is: “There is no minimum safe amount. ”According to one online resource, (the Leukemia Info Center) - “Documented cases of benzene-related blood diseases date back to before the turn of the 20th Century. The relationship between benzene and leukemia was first reported in 1928. In 1948, the American Petroleum Institute published a report linking benzene exposure to leukemia, concluding that the only safe level of benzene exposure is no exposure at all. Since that date, various studies have demonstrated that a number of trades – including plastics workers, painters, gasoline distribution workers, petroleum refinery workers, chemical workers, rubber workers, and printing press operators -- have an increased risk of developing leukemia and other blood cancers and blood disorders as a result of their work-related exposure to benzene.”

So sorry to break the news, but the unvarnished truth is that if you can smell raw crude, and if the rain and ocean mists are oily, rest assured you are being exposed to dangerous cancer-causing levels of benzene molecules. Studies have linked benzene exposure in the mere parts per billion (ppb) range to terminal leukemia, Hodgkins lymphoma, and other blood and immune system diseases within 5-15 years of exposure. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set a permissible exposure limit of 1part of benzene per million parts of air (1ppm) in the work place during an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek. The short term exposure limit for airborne benzene is a mere 5ppm for 15 minutes. Typically, if one can smell raw crude oil that has evaporated into the air from a massive oil spill, the OSHA safe limits for “short term exposure” have been massively exceeded.

Furthermore, according to Wikipedia, “The short term breathing of high levels of benzene can result in death, while low level inhalation can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. Eating or drinking foods containing high levels of benzene (sea food affected by a crude oil spill for instance) can cause vomiting, irritation of the stomach, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions, and death.” Get the picture?? This is very, very serious business not only for the flora and fauna of the Gulf coast states, but also for human residents. Reports of “oily rain” originating over the massive plume could mean that drinking water could become contaminated with toxic benzene as well.

It is therefore, a very good idea to implement a plan for detoxification of benzene.

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Benzene Detox Protocol

To be implemented within 48 hours of known benzene exposure, and continued for a minimum of 6 consecutive months following cessation of exposure to contaminants in order to lessen the risk of cancer and other illness.

1. Mix 8 ounces of concentrated Real Lemon juice (or the juice of 12 large fresh lemons) per 1 gallon of STEAM DISTILLED WATER. Divide your weight by 2 – and this is the number of ounces of pure lemon-water that must be consumed daily. (Example: weight 200 pounds divided by 2 = 100 ounces of water consumed.) Reason: Lemon juice is loaded with natural citric acid, (a benzene-binder and anti-oxidant), phosphate, niacin, and of course, vitamin C. This is the most important, and key step in detoxifying benzene from the body.

2. 12 Chlorella tablets, 3 times daily with meals. Chlorella will powerfully help the cells remove the benzene residue, and allow the cells to utilize oxygen more effectively.

3. 2 Vitamin B oral strips daily (AM and PM).

4. 8 ounces of AquaVivos-treated distilled water daily (this is in addition to the lemon-water). The polyphenolics in AquaVivos helps to protect the cells from benzene-induced DNA mutation.

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3 Comments

THANKS FOR HELPING TO GET THE WORD OUT TO FOLKS LIVING IN THE DANGER ZONE. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR OUR LEADERS TO ALLOW EXPOSURE OF OFFICIALS WORKING IN THE GULF AREA, LABORERS, NEWS REPORTERS, AND CITIZENS TO TOXIC LEVELS OF BENZENE IN THE AIR AND DRINKING WATER!!!!

I can't thank you enough for writing and posting this article. This is very important information, which leads me to ask why the hell this information is not being reported by the corporate press....

Of course, it is now easily accessible knowledge that the White House colluded with BP to keep the true oil flow estimate numbers out of the public eye for as long as they could; I believe it self-evident that both of these entities care much more about public perception and continuation of their own power than they do for actually solving the leak, purifying the land and sea and moving to truly clean energy solutions.

This is really important information you are providing. I have forwarded it to several colleagues and hope they will share it as well.

Instead of lemon juice for detox, however, I would recommend live enzymes in the fresh lemons because the live enzymes are key to the effectiveness of the cleanse. Unfortunately where I live we don't have easy access to fresh lemons. But I have figured out a solution. What I do is just go online (http://www.buy-lemons-online.com/ ) and order from growers that pick them right off the trees and ship them direct — a tip I learned from my cousin in Minnesota. This way I get fresh lemons picked from the tree without all the time with the lemons sitting in cartons, trucks and warehouses as whey they are shipped from growers to markets all over the country.
Hume Bennett